Remember when the Lions started off 5-0, were media darlings, and had the whole country's attention in a good way? It seemed everybody was rooting for them to finally, after decades of being a laughingstock, including countless jokes from late-night talk show hosts, jump back into the realm of at least respectability in the NFL, and perhaps even become a, gasp, contender. Poof. All gone.
Yours truly thinks it started when head coach Jim Schwartz, after suffering his first defeat -- at home, no less -- went after San Francisco 49er head coach Jim Harbaugh, to the point where he was chasing him around the field and security personnel had to restrain him from whatever mayhem he may have had on his mind. Never mind that head-to-head, Harbaugh would KO Schwartz in a matter of seconds, this was conduct unbecoming of a professional coach. Evidently Schwartz thought Harbaugh was somewhat over exuberant with his post-game handshake and maybe even clapped him on the back a little too hard before trying to exit the field.
Earth to Schwartz. It's the NFL. Guys are out there wreaking great bodily harm on each other. Broken bones, torn tendons and ligaments, and concussions happen all the time. Every play might be a player's last one. For that game, for the season, and sometimes forever. It's the nature of the game. And you want to chase the opposing coach around the field because of a handshake or a back pat you didn't like?
Thing is, he's the head coach, supposedly leading by example, and the players pick up on that sort of thing. There's little doubt the Lions players saw the same replays we did, over and over. And I think a very bad seed started to germinate.
The Atlanta Falcons came to town and beat them again. The seed starts to sprout. Since then, the Lions, and sadly, even some of the local media, somehow thought it was humorous to mock an opposing player (Tim Tebow) because of his deeply held religious beliefs. I can understand players trying to get into opponents' heads with trash-talking, but the media bringing up religion as some sort of joke? Not only was that unprofessional on their part, but downright low-class. Further, it watered the above seed.
Win some, lose more, and then the Thanksgiving day game against the Packers with the Ndahmukong Suh debacle. The seed has not only grown roots, the plant is shooting up quickly, and even beginning to flower.
A few weeks back, when the NFL, ever conscious of TV ratings, decided to move the Lions-Saints game to prime time instead of their usual afternoon time slot, they likely had no idea what the Lions would become in the meantime. Again on national TV, the gates finally gave way and the jail break was on. Personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties abounded. Showing a total lack of discipline, much less professionalism, the Lions not only embarrassed themselves again but, in the process, have dragged that Detroit franchise, and even the city itself, right back into the sewer of punch lines that they had such a golden opportunity to finally climb out of.
The talking-heads on TV are ripping them something awful for what they have become. Even ex-coach Mike Ditka, normally a "stay the course" kind of guy, has expressed his disapproval. The Lions are getting lit-up on the Internet, and who knows what the hundreds and thousands of printed publications yours truly never sees are saying about them? Though I have no knowledge of same, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if a Sports Illustrated writer has been quietly lurking about taking notice, and a feature article pops out in that mag next week.
Yet it's almost like the football gods want them to succeed. Obviously, Green Bay has won the division championship, but all the Lions' contenders for a wild-card berth keep losing as well. Technically, they're still in the hunt. Can they win the Super Bowl? Of course not. They're nowhere near that caliber just yet, but they've shown themselves on occasion to be a pretty good football team, potential-wise. Good things could happen in the future.
But first they need to get a handle on the discipline -- act like professionals -- thing. From the head coach on down. Right now they don't have it. Schwartz needs to do a reality check with himself, before he can get that message across to the players.
You thought Matt Millen being in charge was bad? Maybe he was, but at least we didn't expect much out of them. Martin Mayhew, his successor, is one "w" being changed to an "m" away from describing the current state of affairs.
At least under Millen, the Lions were laughed about for good-natured reasons. Nobody's laughing now. They've gone from loveable losers to being a national disgrace. Many people, with no former allegiance to the Lions, jumped on their bandwagon, when they started out hot this year. Maybe it was novelty, sympathy, or perhaps just rooting for perennial underdogs.
Not any more. Those same people want to see the Lions take a beating. The NFL honchos went out of their way to give the Lions national exposure they normally never would have received. Now those same honchos have the Honolulu blue and silver under a microscope.
And the Lions have no one but themselves to blame for this.
Schwartz should have left Harbaugh alone. Sometimes just one snowflake can trigger an avalanche.
Or in this case, when an original seed germinates, takes roots, and shoots up out of the ground at an amazing rate, even perhaps bearing flowers -- one should beware. That's not a plant. It's a weed. Left alone it will spread quickly, sap the nutrients from the real plants one is attempting to grow, and no matter how long one waits, it will never bear fruit.
Jim Schwartz is quickly approaching weed status. If he can't get a handle on his team, perhaps he needs to be yanked out.
No comments:
Post a Comment